Biolog will use its Phenotype MicroArray to study the organism, which comprises more than 4,000 genes. It will rely on the E. coli K-12 data held by the Nara Institute, based in Nara.
The resulting data will be organized and cataloged by Axiohelix, based in
The first 100 genes will be analyzed by March 2005, and it "hopes" that the phenotypic analysis will be expanded in 2005 to include the entire E. coli genome, the company said.
The Phenotype MicroArray is designed to determine cellular phenotypic expression, which may be used to study how drugs affect cells.